A distressing letter written by a British father to his family details his harrowing experience in detention in Dubai, where he alleges he was subjected to torture despite being innocent of any wrongdoing in the country.
Ryan Pepper, a 27-year-old from Ashford, Kent, has been held in custody in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for six months. He had relocated to Dubai in May the previous year following the end of a relationship, seeking a fresh start in the city.
However, upon his return from a trip to New York in November, he was apprehended along with a group of individuals and has remained incarcerated since then. In a message penned by Ryan from his prison cell to his family, he asserted, “I have not committed any crimes in this country.
“I am being unjustly detained, with no indication of a court date, trial, or case updates. I eagerly await to see you. I miss you. Please go to the media and help get me out of here as soon as possible.” His sister Chloe, unaware of the reasons for her brother’s detention, disclosed that he had teeth extracted and was deprived of his medication.
She had no communication with Ryan for several months and only received confirmation of his well-being when the British Embassy conducted a welfare check in February. She mentioned, “He was kept in isolation and didn’t see daylight for four and a half months.
“He described all the incidents as inhumane. He underwent dental extractions and other forms of torture.
“I believe he is missing four teeth. He didn’t provide many details about the ordeal, for which I am grateful, as I prefer not to hear about it. He simply stated that the treatment he received was inhumane.”
Prior to his arrest, Ryan worked in the field of computing and was traveling back to reunite with his one-year-old and three-year-old children, whom he had not seen since August 2025. Chloe remarked, “One of the first questions he asked me was about his children.
“I reassured him that they are fine, and we talk about him with them regularly.” She described the impact on the family as “devastating.” “It destroyed my marriage because it felt like I had lost my brother, and that was extremely emotional,” she shared.
“Our mother’s health deteriorated significantly. It has been a nightmare. We are clueless about why he is being held – no one has provided an explanation. Even the British Embassy has not been informed. If he has done something wrong, I understand that he should face consequences, but to endure torture, have teeth extracted – that is unacceptable. That is unjust. He has rights as a human being.”
Chloe recently spoke with Ryan, who informed her that officials from the British Embassy had unexpectedly visited him in prison. “Their visit was completely unexpected; neither the Criminal Investigation Department nor the UAE Ministry of Interior were prepared for it,” she noted.
“They held a closed-door meeting and were able to openly discuss their ordeal. The embassy indicated that they will push for an investigation.”
She also mentioned seeing a photo of Ryan in a hospital bed, with the embassy explaining it was due to an infection from a surgical scar. However, she doubted this explanation as the surgery occurred in August 2025.
Chloe expressed gratitude for the assistance received from the legal firm Detained In Dubai in efforts to bring her brother back home. A spokesperson from the UK Foreign Office stated, “We are providing assistance to a British national detained in the UAE.
“We are in contact with the family and are actively engaging with the local authorities in the UAE.” Detained In Dubai has been contacted for a response.
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